Our family loves celebrating the Christmas season with this crafty Advent calendar my friend made for us years ago. Decorate the matchboxes with scrapbook paper and other Christmas-y papers, then added little embellishments and numbers 1 to 24. Use a small cork board as a base and tack on grosgrain ribbon in four rows. To attach the matchboxes, cut two small slits in the bottom of each outside wrap of the boxes, and slide six on each ribbon. They can be in number order, or mixed up for fun. For the gifts inside, I add M&Ms to…
Here’s a simple tutorial for a rice-filled heating pad, with lots of tips to make it neat and easy. I’ve made many of these for our church bazaar, and they are great sellers every time! And great for gift giving, especially for the chilly holidays. A funny note – I finally made one for myself after all these years! I bet some of you can relate. 🙂 This size is perfect for wrapping around your neck and shoulders, and stays on while sitting or standing. Or for laying across your stomach or both feet. Supplies Needed: 2…
Here’s a simple Back to School craft to make for the kiddos, or for a pretty cover for your bullet journal – in 4 easy steps! This version avoids any sticky glue and complicated folding, and is super inexpensive. Supplies Needed: 1/3 yard Wonder Under (This is a paper backed fusible web found in the interfacing section of fabrics. I found it at Walmart for $1.66 per yard.) 1 Fat Quarter or 1/3 yard Fabric Composition Book Step 1: Cut the fabric and Wonder Under 17 x 11 inches. Step 2: Iron the Wonder Under to the…
I can’t resist the beautiful shapes and colors of mother nature’s foliage, especially early summer. In the Midwest, periodic rains keep everything growing and fresh. While working in the garden or on a walk, I love picking a few of the prettiest ones and pressing them to use in my crafty projects. My “high-tech” way to press leaves is in old phone books I’ve kept for this purpose. If you happen to still have one, they are great to use because the paper is light and absorbent, and of course phone books are big and heavy…